technology can't fix a broken process

We've talked before about how many HR processes are broken, and we've seen technology companies now come and put many of those broken processes into online systems. This isn't new, large corporate organisations have been using expensive software systems for many years now.

So, who is questioning whether the process actually produces desirable outcomes? It's one thing to bring increased automation and more efficient data collection to a business process, but what if that business process is flawed in the first place and actually creates disengagement, fuels employee turnover, and results in inconsistent leadership approaches in the organisation that employ it?

That's the problem with a lot of HR technology, and the annual performance appraisal is a classic example.

The email from HR advising that the yearly performance review is due has been sent to everyone! Sullen faces glance around the office, knowing looks are shared as the realisation hits that we’ve all received this notice at the same time. Yes, we’ve all read the blunt words from HR stating “here’s the link to your on-line form where you can rate yourself from 1 to 5 in each category. Once you’ve completed the form, notification will be sent to your supervisor and he/she will then complete their rating of your performance”. Oh joy - not!

We’re all now picturing how that conversation is likely to go; we’re remembering the last time when we wasted hours debating the difference between being rated a 3 instead of a 4 and left feeling exhausted, un-appreciated, and wondering why we’re still here.  Worse we know our manager will never rate anyone a 5, but the other managers are more generous in their rating approach.  This is the perfect example of the tech driving the process instead of any desired outcome.  Ticking boxes and scoring is never going to replace a powerful, engaging conversation. 

Then there's recruitment, where technology companies have just taken an antiquated and broken HR process, put it on-line, and monetised the job advertising platform. 

Basically people either put their existing CV into an online platform to more easily apply for jobs, or they have to go to a company website to upload the same data from their CV into the companies template.

Great, the techies have taken the postal service out of the process, but the rest of the employee selection process looks exactly the same as it did when H Agent 002 had hair (and that's quite a long time ago)!

These systems have done little to really help businesses get the best candidates and absolutely nothing to help great candidates stand out. The process is still based on the notion that the aim in recruitment is about dismissing unsuitable candidates, when actually great candidates are hard to get, so the recruitment process would be far more valuable to businesses if it could act as the organisation’s magnet to attract the best candidates to join them.

We believe that technology should be used as a tool to effectively assist businesses with their systems; including their HR systems. We need to review the process though, and those systems need to be based on natural human behaviours and engagement, rather than based purely on compliance, an adversarial view of the employment relationship, and discouraging meaningful interactions between people.  Of course business systems should also be affordable.

It was with this philosophy in mind that we developed and built the on-line H Factor system.  We researched the best practices in employee engagement, motivation, and team leadership. We spent the time to look into the things that actually determine how well people can perform at work. We then developed a process based on those best practices and systemised it in an online tool so that HR can genuinely add value to the organisations that implement it.  
The H Factor provides:

• A process for building your organisation structure and clearly defining the positions within it;
• A place where your people can capture policies, procedures, processes, inductions, and training;
• A guided outcome conversation process that is more effective and engaging than performance reviews;
• A system for capturing and assessing ideas and suggestions for business improvement so that the don't get lost or ignored;
• A place for all the teams in the organisation to capture reports, actions, and accountabilities; 
• A recruitment process that focuses on the potential contribution of every candidate; and
• A recognition process for allowing the acknowledgement of those people who have demonstrated the values of the organisation.

Especially in small businesses, we know that inefficient and ineffective business processes are a huge drain on resources and energy. Rather than making a broken process more efficient and therefore making it even less effective, we decided to review the process and build a system that would genuinely help businesses and the people in them. 

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